potted bulbs
With the weather finally turning I moved the gardening activities indoors. Surprisingly, the potted tuberose is in bloom, and so are the lilies. Even so a trip to the plant nursery is in order, to pick up some bulbs and check up the tropical plant section, the kitchen window sill looks a little sad.
From what I’ve seen so far, the garden venues are still focused on fall and holiday decor, there is a lot of greenery and sparkle in the flower department, but not many potted plants that bloom.
Indoor plants that bloom in winter often come from the southern hemisphere, but if you give any potted plant summer conditions twice a year, which is basically what happens when you bring them in from the cold and expose them to seventy degree temperatures again, they shift their schedule so much it becomes totally unpredictable. The tuberoses have bloomed through every season since I started them, even in the diminished winter light.
If you enjoy spring flowers during the cold season, there is still time to start some potted bulbs. Begin with bulbs that have been chilled, plant them in shallow containers and keep them in temperatures between fifty and sixty degrees for a couple of weeks. When the shoots emerge move them to a bright, sunny window. Keep the soil moist but not soggy and after they finish blooming and when the weather warms up, plant them in the garden.
It is not true that forced bulbs get depleted, mine bloomed every year. I even noticed that the ones that spent a winter indoors fare better than their outdoor counterparts.
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